Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods



March 22, 1955 J. M. JOHNSTON EIAL APPARATUS FOR LIFTING A BUNDLE 0F RODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1952 Jay/v M JOHNSTON. arm

T0 (0N V570,? C ON TEOL 5 w z m 6 4A? M w A M M MA T0 CONVEYOR M0702 CON TEOL United States Patent 9 APPARATUS FOR LIFTDIG A BUNDLE OF RODS John M. Johnston, Paxton, Mass., and Marshall T. Magee, Jr., Macedonia, Ohio, assiguors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 24, 1952, Serial No. 268,106

6 Claims. (Cl. 214-89) This invention relates to apparatus for lifting a bundle of hot rods from a conveyor to an elevated position above the conveyor. Hot rods coming from the rolling mill are arranged in bundles and placed on a conveyor having a hat surrace and are pulled over this flat surface by moving hooks. it is necessary for the finisher to inspect the bundle of rods at intervals. In many instances the conveyor is below the level of the floor and it is necessary for him to descend steps to the conveyor, cut a sample of rod from the bundle and then come back up the stairs. This operation in addition to being very hot is also dangerous.

it is therefore an object of our invention to provide apparatus for lifting a bundle of hot rods from the conveyor to a position a considerable distance above the conveyor.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

rlgure l is a vertical view taken on the line II of Figure 2;

rigure 2 is a view taken on the line H-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a. view taken on the line III--III of Figure 1;

1 Figure 4 is a view taken on the line IVIV of Figure Figure 5 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the electrical control for the apparatus of Figures 1 to 4.

Referrnig more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a conveyor housing enclosing a movable link chain' conveyor 3 which is provided with a plurality of upwardly extending hooks 4. The chain 3 travels along a guideway 6 at the center of the housing 2. The conveyor housing 2 has a flat surface 8 over which bundles of rod R pass. The conveyor travels in a step-by-step motion and an elevator is arranged at one of the stops. The support for the elevator consists of four vertical rails 10, the bottom of each rail being supported in a pocket 12 of the conveyor housing 2. The rails are connected intermediate their height by cross channels 14 extending longitudinally of the conveyor and at their top by means of channels 16 and 18 which form a support for a plate 20 on which the elevator mechanism is supported. The elevator platform 22 is made of two castings 24 arranged in spaced apart relationship so as to provide an opening 26 for passage of the hooks 4. The top of each of the castings 24 has a plate 28 mounted on each end thereof as shown. A channel 30 is fastened to and extends between the plates 28 at each end of the castings 24 to connect the castings 24. A center channel 32 also connects the top of the castings 24. Mounted on each of the plates 28 is a pair of spaced apart channels 34 arranged back to back and connected on top by means of a plate 36. A U-shaped shoe 38 is fastened to each of the plates 36 and is provided with an outwardly extending groove 40 for receiving the head of one of the rails 10. An eye bolt 42 passes through each of the plates 36 with the eye being above the plate 36. A spring 44 surrounds the bolt 42 with one end bearing against the plate 36 and the other end bearing against a washer 46 which is held in place by means of a nut 48.

A motor 50 is mounted on the plate 20 and drives a gear reducer 52 which in turn drives a sprocket 54. Located above the motor 50 is a shaft 56 having a sprocket 58 thereon which is driven from the sprocket 54. The shaft 56 has a left hand drum 60 mounted thereon at ice one end and a right hand drum 62 mounted on the other end. A pair of guide sheaves 64 are mounted on the plate 20 above the rails. A pair of flexible cables 66 and 68 are received on each or the drums 60 and 62. The free end of each of the cables 66 is fastened directly to one of the eye bolts 42. The free end of each of the cables 68 passes over one of the sheaves 64 and is fastened to an eye bolt 42. Thus the platform 22 is sup- POILeu at an rour corners. A ramp '10 is mounted on the surface 8 on the approach side of the platform 22 so that bundles pass over the ramp to the level of the top of elevator platform 22 when the latter rests on the surface 8. The ramp 70 is provided with a longitudinal opening 72 for passage of the hook 4. A platrorm 74' is provided above the conveyor 2.

the control for the operation of the elevator is shown in Figure 5. The motor 50 is a reversible motor havmg power delivered thereto from the hnes 76, 78 and 80. the motor 50 is also provided with a brake 82 (rigure i of the type which is held in set position by means of a spring, which spring is released by means of a coil 84 arranged ll]. the motor circuit. the direction of rotation of the motor 50 is controlled by means of contactor coils 86 and 88. The contactor 86 has three normally open contacts 86a, 86b and 86c. The contactor 88 has three normally open contacts 88a, 88b and 880. A relay coil 90 is energized from the conveyor control circuit and has its contacts 90c arranged in the line 76. The circuit for energizing the coil 86 includes a push button switch 92 and a limit switch 94 having two contacts 940 and 94b. The circuit for energization of coil 88 includes a push button switch 96 and a limit switch 98 having two contacts 98a and 98b.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the platform 22 resting on the surface 8 the fin isher selects which coil he wishes to test and stops it on the platform as shown in Figure l, the bundle R being raised to this position by means of the ramp 70. in this position the conveyor is not running so that coil 90 is deenergized and the contacts We are closed. The operator then depresses the push button switch 92 completing a circuit to coil 86 through contact 94b. This closes the contacts 86a, 86b and 86c, thus applying current through coil 84 to release the brake 82 and cause the motor 50 to raise the elevator platform 22 to the broken line position shown in Figure 1. When the elevator cradle reaches this position, it contacts the limit switch 94, which will open contacts 94b and close 940, thus stopping the elevator motor 50 and applying the brake 82. 'lhe operator standing on platform '14 then collects his sample of rod after which he closes a push button switch 96. This completes a circuit through contacts 98b to the contactor 88 and coil 84, thus causing the elevator platform 22 to be lowered. When the platform reaches its lowest position, it contacts limit switch 98, thus opening contacts 98b and closing contacts 98a. Closing of either contacts 94a or 98a allows the conveyor to be operated by the conveyor control operator since the circuit to the conveyor motor control is closed. It will be seen that the conveyor cannot run unless the elevator cradle or platform 22 is all the way down or all the way up. It will also be seen that the elevator cradle cannot be raised or lowered while the conveyor is running. It is not necessary for the conveyor to stop while the operator is taking his sample since he can start the conveyor up as soon as the platform reaches its top position. The bundle of rods can then be replaced when an empty hook reaches a position beneath the platform 22 While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods or the like from a conveyor having a flat surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over the flat surface, comprising an elevator platform, means for moving said platform from a position on said fiat surface to a position substantially above said conveyor, and a ramp on the approach side of said platform extending from said flat surface to said platform for raising said bundles to said platform, said ramp and said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks.

2. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods or the like from a conveyor having a flat surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over the flat surface, comprising an elevator platform, means for moving said platform from a position on said flat surface to a position substantially above said conveyor, a ramp on the approach side of said platform extending from said fiat surface to said platform for raising said bundles to said platform, said ramp and said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks, and means for preventing operation of said moving means when the said hooks are moving.

3. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods or the like from a conveyor having a fiat surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over a flat surface, comprising an elevator platform, means for moving said platform from a position on said fiat surface to a position substantially above said conveyor, a ramp on the approach side of said platform extending from said flat surface to said platform for raising bundles to said platform, said ramp and said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks, means for preventing operation of said moving means when the said hooks are moving, and means for preventing movement of said hooks except when the platform is at one end of its path of travel.

4. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods to an elevated inspection station from a conveyor having a fiat bundle supporting surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over the fiat surface, comprising an elevator platform located intermediate the length of said conveyor, a support for said elevator platform straddling said conveyor, means for moving said platform vertically upwardly from a position where the top thereof forms part of the bundle supporting surface of said conveyor to the inspection station and then back to its initial position, said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks.

5. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods to an elevated inspection station from a conveyor having a flat bundle supporting surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over the flat surface, comprising an elevator platform located intermediate the length of said conveyor, a support for said elevator platform straddling said conveyor, means for moving said platform vertically upwardly from a position where the top thereof forms part of the bundle supporting surface of said conveyor to the inspection station and then back to its initial position, said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks, and means for preventing operation of said moving means when the said hooks are moving.

6. Apparatus for lifting a bundle of rods to an elevated inspection station from a conveyor having a flat bundle supporting surface and moving hooks for pulling bundles over the flat surface, comprising an elevator platform located intermediate the length of said conveyor, a support for said elevator platform straddling said conveyor, means for moving said platform vertically upwardly from a position where the top thereof forms part of the bundle supporting surface of said conveyor to the inspection station and then back to its initial position, said platform having a longitudinal opening therethrough for passage of said hooks, means for preventing operation of said moving means when the said hooks are moving, and means for preventing movement of said hooks except when the platform is at one end of the path of travel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,688 Perry Aug. 3, 1926 1,735,443 Randles et al Nov. 12, 1929 2,207,648 Wick July 9, 1940 2,317,000 Tallman Apr. 20, 1943 2,348,112 Da Costa May 2, 1944 2,546,374 Rayburn et al Mar. 27, 1951 2,569,393 Walker Sept. 25, 1951 2,623,626 Ditolla Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 592,49l Germany Feb. 9, 1934 

